NIH proposal FAQs

page limits
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/page-limits.htm

Font (size, color, type density) and Line Spacing

Adherence to font size, type density, line spacing and text color requirements is necessary to ensure readability and fairness. Although font requirements apply to all attachments, they are most important and most heavily scrutinized in attachments with page limits.

Text in your attachments must follow these minimum requirements:

• Font size:  Must be 11 points or larger. Smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams and charts is acceptable, as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%.
  • Some PDF conversion software reduces font size. It is important to confirm that the final PDF document complies with the font requirements.
• Type density:  Must be no more than 15 characters per linear inch (including characters and spaces).
• Line spacing: Must be no more than six lines per vertical inch.
• Text color: No restriction. Though not required, black or other high-contrast text colors are recommended since they print well and are legible to the largest audience.

We recommended the following fonts, although other fonts (both serif and non-serif) are acceptable if they meet the above requirements.

• Arial
• Georgia
• Helvetica
• Palatino Linotype

Legibility is of paramount importance. Applications that include PDF attachments that do not conform to the minimum requirements listed above may be withdrawn from consideration.

paper and margin
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm#papersizeandmargins 

• Use paper size no larger than standard letter paper size (8 ½" x 11”).
• Provide at least one-half inch margins (½" ) - top, bottom, left, and right - for all pages. No applicant-supplied information can appear in the margins.

grantsmanship

NIH bad words:
  should, hope, may

Good words:
 we expect to ..., it is likely that ...
 we anticipate that

NIH uncolicited applications

Did you know that the majority of funded NIH proposals are unsolicited?  That is, they are not in response to a specific funding opportunity announcement!

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/unsolicited-investigator-initiated-research  although this guidance is specific to NIAID (allergy and infectious disease), the same applies to almost all of NIH – especially NCI – the wealthiest of all at NIH.

Please see the attached presentation from Program Officer, Dr. David Berrigan at NCI.  Last week at meetings at UTK, he took us through the top 10 list of research gems from the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.  These are applicable to anywhere at NIH, not just NCI.

NSF RCN elements

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15527/nsf15527.htm

ll RCN proposals (including RCN-UBE) must conform to the following 7 guidance items:

1. Topic/focus of research coordination. For all tracks, research coordination network (RCN) proposals should identify a clear theme as the focus of its activities. RCN proposals should spell out the theoretical and/or methodological foundations of the network's proposed activities, and should specify what activities will be undertaken, what new groups of investigators will be brought together, what products will be generated by network activities, and how information about the network and opportunities to participate will be disseminated. The proposal should also outline the expected benefits of the network's activities in moving a field forward and the implications for the broader community of researchers, educators and engineers.
2. Principal investigator (PI). Although research coordination networks are expected to involve investigators from multiple sites, a single organization must serve as the submitting organization for each proposal. Of the two types of collaborative proposal formats described in the Grant Proposal Guide, this solicitation allows only a single proposal submission with subawards administered by that lead organization. The PI is the designated contact person for the project and is expected to provide leadership in fully coordinating and integrating the activities of the network. Strong, central leadership and clear lines of responsibility are essential for successful networking.
3. Steering committee. Members of the steering committee will be network participants that assume key roles in the leadership and/or management of the project. The steering committee should be representative of the communities of participants that will be brought together through the RCN. It must include all Co-PIs, if any are listed on the cover page of the proposal, and any other senior personnel, including any foreign collaborators involved as leaders or otherwise considered senior personnel. Therefore, the steering committee constitutes all the senior personnel for the RCN proposal. The name and home organization of each steering committee member should be listed in the project summary. As these individuals are all senior personnel, their Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support statements must be included in the appropriate sections of the proposal.
4. Network participants. The size of a network is expected to vary depending on the theme and the needs of the proposed activity. The network may be regional, national, or international. It is expected that a proposed network will involve investigators at diverse organizations. The inclusion of new researchers, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduates is encouraged. Specific efforts to increase participation of underrepresented groups (women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities) must be included. In the proposal, an initial network of likely participants should be identified. However, there should be clearly developed mechanisms to maintain openness, ensure access, and actively promote participation by interested parties outside of the initial participants in the proposed network.
5. Coordination/management mechanism. The proposal should include a clearly defined management plan. The plan should include a description of the specific roles and responsibilities of the PI and the steering committee. Mechanisms for allocating funds, such as support for the work of a steering committee, should be clearly articulated. The plan should include provisions for flexibility to allow the structure of the participant group to change over time as membership and the network's foci evolve. Mechanisms for assessing progress and the effectiveness of the networking activities should be part of the management plan.
6. Information and material sharing. The goals of this program are to promote effective communication and to enhance opportunities for collaboration. Proposers are expected to develop and present a clearly delineated understanding of individual member's rights to ideas, information, data and materials produced as a result of the award that is consistent with the goals of the program. Infrastructure plans to support the communication and collaboration should be described. When the proposed activity involves generation of community resources such as databases or unique materials, a plan for their timely release and the mechanism of sharing beyond the membership of the RCN must be described in the Data Management Plan, a required Supplementary Document. In addition, a plan for long-term maintenance of such resources must be described without assuming continued support from NSF.
7. International participation. NSF encourages international collaboration, and we anticipate that many RCN projects will include participants, including steering committee members, from outside the US. International collaborations should clearly strengthen the proposed project activities. As NSF funding predominantly supports participation by US participants, network participants from institutions outside the US are encouraged to seek support from their respective funding organizations, notably participants from developed countries. NSF funds may not be used to support the expenses of the international scientists and students at their home organization. For RCN projects that involve international partners, NSF funds may be used for the following:

Travel expenses for US scientists and students participating in exchange visits integral to the RCN project

RCN-related expenses for international partners to participate in networking activities while in the US.

RCN-related expenses for US participants to conduct networking activities in the international partner's home laboratory.

Spelman NSF day

* cost sharing is prohibited.

* NSF-wide and cross-cutting programs: HBCUs, RAPID/EAGER, ADVANCE, GRFP, MRI, RUI/ROA, REU/RET.

RAPID such as ebola virus in 2014, aspect of urgency.
https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/opp_advisory/briefings/may2010/gpg_rapid_eager.pdf
" PI(s) must contact the NSF program officer(s) whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic before submitting a RAPID proposal. This will facilitate determining whether the proposed work is appropriate for RAPID funding."

EAGER, Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), high risk and high reward. Internal review. 

ADVANCE: women in academics and science. 

MRI: an equipment to enhance "existing research" with more possibilities. 


For PUI: 
RUI: no more than 20 PhD degrees in 2 year period in all-NSF supported fields. 
ROA: research opportunity award, supplements to existing awards, such as support to visiting a large lab to learning new skills. 

RUI has better rate than regular proposals. 

NSF proposal guideline

Use one of the following typefaces identified below:

• Arial¹⁰, Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger;
• Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or
• Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger.
•  

NSF workshop information

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/nsf04_23/2.jsp#IID7


An estimated total budget for the conference, together with an itemized statement of the amount of support requested from NSF (the NSF budget may include participant support for transportation (when appropriate), per diem costs, stipends, publication and other conference-related costs. (Note: participant support costs must be excluded from the indirect cost base.) See Chapter II, Section C.2.g.(v); and


http://www.nsf.gov/bio/mcb/confworkshopguidance.jsp

Allowable costs
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/manuals/gpm05_131/gpm6.jsp

REU budget

$2500 for 8-10 week housing,
food allowance can be offered, see Yale's example. http://www.sackler.yale.edu/summer.htm

page margin, font size, NIH proposal

Remember the Details! Below are tips to assist you in meeting the requirements on font, font size, margins and spacing. Be sure to follow the format in the instructions and label sections as requested.
 

• Use an Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 11 points or larger. (A Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; the font size requirement still applies.)


• Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15 characters per inch. Type may be no more than six lines per inch. Use standard paper size (8 ½" x 11) . Use at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. No information should appear in the margins

See

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm

https://researchadmin.asu.edu/faculty-toolbox/nih-writing-requirements

http://viceprovost.tufts.edu/grantwriting/resources/formatting-guide/

Spelman Factbook

http://www.spelman.edu/docs/FactBook/facts-figsbook_103114.pdf?sfvrsn=2

*** sample proposals, open research

http://ged.msu.edu/research.html

workshop proposal, including report
http://www.spatial.cs.umn.edu/few/epilogue.html

NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science (R25)

RFA
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-005.html


On January 13, 2015, a new funding opportunity announcement was released entitled NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science (R25). The over-arching goal of this BD2K R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on research experiences for students and faculty, and for curriculum development. 

The primary purpose of the NIH BD2K Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science program is to provide resources for eligible institutions to implement innovative approaches to research education for diverse students in Big Data science, including those from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research. Higher education institutions listed in the FOA are eligible to apply. Some institutions provide unique opportunities for access to students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research. Accordingly, the NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) program strongly encourages applications from the following institutions: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, and institutions serving individuals living with disabilities. Applicants must collaborate with at least one NIH BD2K Center [NIH BD2K Centers] across the nation to develop the BD2K R25 program at the applicant institution. Refer to RFA-MD-15-005 for details. 


"Collaborative activities with the NIH BD2K Centers may include, but are not limited to: short-term research experiences for students and faculty at the NIH BD2K Centers, and hands-on projects; developing and/or disseminating curriculum materials that will be used at the applicant institution, and/or in a joint-instructional capacity with BD2K faculty. - See more at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-005.html#sthash.gBxhvyIY.dpuf"

List of BD2K centers:
http://bd2k.nih.gov/FY14/COE/COE.html#sthash.NGUHPDVC.nZubDRF2.dpbs

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH (Super computing center?)
http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=8932078&icde=22003109
http://www.dbmi.pitt.edu/person/gregory-cooper-md-phd

UW Madison (past Spelman REU program)
http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=8921373&icde=22003161


References:
http://bd2k.nih.gov/FY14/Ed/Ed.html#sthash.5HdqQJNh.dpbs


Report of a workshop, very informative
http://bd2k.nih.gov/pdf/bd2k_training_workshop_report.pdf

Who to Train: The BD2K workforce will need both quantitative (statistical and computational)
expertise and biomedical domain expertise, taken together as “data science” expertise.
Examples of biomedical fields that already incorporate varying amounts and mixtures of
quantitative expertise are bioinformatics, computational biology, biomedical informatics,
biostatistics, and quantitative biology. Both basic and clinical researchers at all career levels
need to receive training.
 When to Train: Training is needed at all career stages: exposure courses for
undergraduates, cross-training for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, training as
needed for researchers at all levels to facilitate their work, refresher courses or certificates in
specific competencies for mid-level researchers, and relevant continuing medical education
courses for clinical professionals.
 What to Train: Both long- and short-term training is needed, and efforts should be guided by
the competency level required for the technical knowledge and skills to be gained. The
technical knowledge and skills needed include: (1) computational and informatics skills; (2)

mathematics and statistics expertise; and (3) domain science knowledge.

How to Train: Several ways to cross-train biomedical and quantitative scientists were
suggested, including through (1) new or expansion of existing long-term research training
programs (which can incorporate activities such as boot camps, joint and team coursework,
delayed laboratory rotations, dual or team mentoring, clinical and industrial externships, and
team challenges); (2) short-term courses and hands-on immersive experiments (which can
span short courses, certificate programs, immersive workshops, summer institutes, clinical
immersion and shadowing, and continuing medical education opportunities); (3) curricula for
biomedical Big Data; (4) technology-enabled learning systems and environments (e.g., webbased
courses and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to offer training to a much
larger audience; and (5) a training laboratory that has tools and resources for self-directed

learning and exploration. 

summer workshop plans, Jamila Canady

Jamila Canady, x5366, summer program.
Called on 2015 Jan 12, Monday. She said sth like that "we will pick up once the proposal is approved".

In Late July or August?
20-30 faculty
computer access
active learning space?
wireless access

Food catering
parking coupons

Lotus Notes, initiate a new proposal for internal routing

http://spelmanosp.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/obtaining-approval-to-submit-a-grant-proposal/

IUSE goals

objectives linked to student behavior?

project goals linked ?
cognitive learning goals: intended changes in the targeted population
project management goals

"affective" learning objective not effective

Lessons learned, grant writing

Prediction and supporting evidence should be presented side by side.

OSH6 overexpression

20140707

two-fold increase of protein level OSH6
increase # of interactions (new interactions)
stronger interaction (low p to high p)

artificial interactions vs endogenous interactions

some Y2H may be artificial.

TCO89 knock-down lead to shorter lifespan.

"interaction intensity", Tco89 - Tor1, p=0.5 in mutant, p=1 in wildtype. "Competition can be modeled" in interaction intensity modeling.  Conservation of mass for Tor1.

CR lead to decreased endocytosis in yeast, claimed by Tang. Vacole is the end organelle to digest food imported by endocytosis.

How about autophagy?

(BUILD) human gene network reliability and pathogenic association of genetic variations in human populations

Reliability of human gene networks and their pathogenic implications.

Reliability of gene network in different human tissues and cell types -> robustness, cancer incidence?

health disparity
aging associated genes

expression profiling, ngs to infer tissue specific gene networks.

human twin aging expression
http://genomebiology.com/2013/14/7/R75?utm_campaign=10_12_13_genomebiol_Article_Mailing_Reg&utm_content=7387379393&utm_medium=BMCemail&utm_source=Emailvision

gwa aging 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21782286

age of puberty in japanese

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0063821

CR effect on cell lines SNPS
flow cytometers
fluorecesnce microscope

yeast model?

Translational fidelity / transcriptional fidelity, a collection

http://www.yeastgenome.org/go/GO:1990145/overview

EFB1 essential gene
SUI1 essential gene
EFT1 YOR133W non-essential gene, null has very short lifespan
EFT2 is a paralog of EFT1, non-essential. 

Michael Sovaneau's 1979 PNAS paper on tRNA aminocylation proofread.

High fidelity translation in nude mouse, Nature paper 2013.

Yeast, SUP45 (essential gene)
http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000043151/overview
Overexpression SUP45 leads to decreased vegetative growth

"SUP45 TCH tetO"

http://www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S000151121/overview


 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24082110

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print]

Naked mole-rat has increased translational fidelity compared with the mouse, as well as a unique 28S ribosomal RNA cleavage.

Azpurua J, Ke Z, Chen IX, Zhang Q, Ermolenko DN, Zhang ZD, Gorbunova V, Seluanov A.

Source

Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627.

Abstract

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a subterranean eusocial rodent with a markedly long lifespan and resistance to tumorigenesis. Multiple data implicate modulation of protein translation in longevity. Here we report that 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of the naked mole-rat is processed into two smaller fragments of unequal size. The two breakpoints are located in the 28S rRNA divergent region 6 and excise a fragment of 263 nt. The excised fragment is unique to the naked mole-rat rRNA and does not show homology to other genomic regions. Because this hidden break site could alter ribosome structure, we investigated whether translation rate and amino acid incorporation fidelity were altered. We report that naked mole-rat fibroblasts have significantly increased translational fidelity despite having comparable translation rates with mouse fibroblasts. Although we cannot directly test whether the unique 28S rRNA structure contributes to the increased fidelity of translation, we speculate that it may change the folding or dynamics of the large ribosomal subunit, altering the rate of GTP hydrolysis and/or interaction of the large subunit with tRNA during accommodation, thus affecting the fidelity of protein synthesis. In summary, our results show that naked mole-rat cells produce fewer aberrant proteins, supporting the hypothesis that the more stable proteome of the naked mole-rat contributes to its longevity.

H3K36 methylation promotes longevity by enhancing transcriptional fidelity.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26159996

Epigenetic mechanisms, including histone post-translational modifications, control longevity in diverse organisms. Relatedly, loss of proper transcriptional regulation on a global scale is an emerging phenomenon of shortened life span, but the specific mechanisms linking these observations remain to be uncovered. Here, we describe a life span screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is designed to identify amino acid residues of histones that regulate yeast replicative aging. Our results reveal that lack of sustained histone H3K36 methylation is commensurate with increased cryptic transcription in a subset of genes in old cells and with shorter life span. In contrast, deletion of the K36me2/3 demethylase Rph1 increases H3K36me3 within these genes, suppresses cryptic transcript initiation, and extends life span. We show that this aging phenomenon is conserved, as cryptic transcription also increases in old worms. We propose that epigenetic misregulation in aging cells leads to loss of transcriptional precision that is detrimental to life span, and, importantly, this acceleration in aging can be reversed by restoring transcriptional fidelity.

https://ouroboros.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/found-in-mistranslation-a-novel-role-for-protein-synthesis-fidelity-in-aging/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12208238

http://www.tavernarakislab.gr/publications/NovaPS.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Tavernarakis%20N%5BAuthor%5D

E coli aging !!

Suckjoon Jun and Minsu Kim: 

CFU viability is exponential, but RLS is Gompertz. When SOS is knocked out, RLS become exponential.

RLS for E coli is measured in good growth condition, and CLS for E coli is measured in depleted nutrient condition. It is possible that CLS condition overwhelm network buffering and resulted in a network with too little redundancy.  On the other hand,  aging was able to manifest itself during growth, because the external 'insults' are below the 'critical' point for network robustness.

Craig Skinner and Su-ju Lin, 2010 AMB review on CR

CR on E coli aging
http://precedings.nature.com/documents/2071/version/1